Therapy
by crescentgaia
Summary: The somewhat sequel to the True Story - Neal goes to therapy at the suggestion of Peter and El.  Spoilers for season 1 and somewhat of season two to over my bases.  A big thank you to TatraMegami for everything she did - You are Awesome!
1. Family Dinner

_I do not own White Collar or any of its characters. Please enjoy._

El looked at Peter across the table as she took a sideways glance at Neal. They were eating their first meal together since Neal came out of jail. She kicked Peter under the table, meaning to be less forceful than she meant to be. Peter raised an eyebrow at El, flicking a baby tomato at her for the kick. Neal looked at the two of them before flicking a bit of macaroni at Peter. "Neal," El said.

"What?" Neal asked innocently with a grin. He stuck his tongue out at Peter as he got hit with a bit of meat. "Don't stain."

"Peter," El said.

"You started it," Peter replied with a grin. "You kicked me," he said as Neal flicked another piece of macaroni at him.

"I was trying to get your attention, not start a food fight," El said as she gave Neal a look.

"Sorry El," Neal said a bit sheepishly.

"It's not your fault," El replied to Neal with a soft smile. "But I do want to bring something up that is about you."

"Oh?" Neal asked with a bit of curiosity. "What is it?"

"She thinks that I should tell you something that Hughes wants you to do," Peter said. "Even though I think you're going to say no. But El did suggest the person and she passed all the background checks that we have in place for someone in her line of work."

"What line of work?" Neal asked, even though he had a sneaking suspicion what Peter was going to suggest.

"A therapist," Peter replied. "Her name is Cristina Manzo and she works with people who have gone through different kinds of trauma. It's not because you need to be fixed but Hughes thinks that it would help with the different cases that we're going to have coming our way. We went through the first one fine, but he's worried about what will come in the future. Heck, I'm a bit worried about it as well."

"I know," Neal said quietly and looked down. "I know about your meetings with Mozzie. I followed him that day after we were done with the job."

Peter blinked and then smiled. "Cannot put anything past you."

"You two were good in the beginning but Mozzie blew it. He said he had to go see someone about a newspaper. It sounded fishy, so I followed and I had the okay from the office to do so."

"Since they thought you were with me," Peter said with a chuckle. "We're going to keep those meetings."

"The two of you could just call each other on the phone and talk," Neal pointed out.

"Phones are bugged," Peter replied. "And he won't come over here unless El is home."

"Moz is very nice and not about to try anything," El said quietly. "He did check the house a few times for us while you were away. Never did find anything, but I'm glad that he did it."

Peter smiled at that. "He did and he is nice. I'll give him that. He's a good friend to have."

Neal raised an eyebrow. "Friend?"

"He'll never admit it," El replied at that. "But he is trusting Peter more and more. I think it helps that Peter is doing a bit more on his side of the law rather than Peter being stuffy."

"I am not stuffy," Peter replied.

"You are at times, love," El said with a bit of a smile. "Who wants more?"

"I think I'm good," Neal replied as El got her plate and went into the kitchen. "Moz is trusting you more and more?"

"Yes," Peter replied with a shrug. "Now, about the therapist."

"What was her name again?" Neal asked.

"Cristina Manzo," Peter replied. "I think she could help you, Neal, if you want help. I know that we've been talking and you've been talking to El a lot."

"And El shares, I know that," Neal replied quietly and nodded a yes. "Maybe you're right…I've been having dreams of what happened at the hanger."

Peter looked worried. "Dreams as in looking from the outside or reliving dreams?"

"Reliving," Neal replied quietly. "I'm not sleeping all that well and going a bit overboard with the espresso. Besides, admitting you have a problem is the first step to getting better, right?"

"Only if you're doing the twelve steps, but I do think you're on the right track," Peter replied with a smile. "Your first meeting with her is tomorrow at three."

"…You already set up a meeting for me?" Neal asked. "How did you know I was going to agree?"

"One of the things that I just know about you," Peter replied. "And I could see today that you weren't sleeping as well as you did the night before. Or the night before that. So you were more likely to agree to help rather than dismiss it out of hand."

"You're quite the mastermind," Neal said with a grin. "Are you sure we shouldn't just give up our day jobs and go into the bank business?"

"Burke and Caffrey?" Peter asked with a grin. "I think El might kill us."

"Not if we give her a good cut of the money," Neal joked. "Okay, so she might just kill you."

"No, you," Peter replied. "You're the one who got me into it, remember?"

"Only because I knew the other way in," Neal said with a grin. "Besides, wouldn't it better than the retirement money you're going to get from them?"

"Neal, you are not allowed to get Peter into your business," El replied as she came back to the table. "Or anything else you two are thinking up."

"We'd give you a nice cut," Neal said.

"The only cut I'd like is something that Peter knows about," El said with a grin at Peter.

Peter just grinned as he relaxed into his chair. "What?" He asked as he saw Neal raise an eyebrow.

"Am I allowed a piece of the action?" Neal asked, hopefully.

"You already are, but not on this," Peter replied. "We're trying. Again."

"Again?" Neal asked.

"We tried two times now," El replied. "If nothing else, we'll just adopt you."

"We did that already," Peter said with a grin.

"Now I just feel loved," Neal said with a chuckle as they sunk more into the banter back and forth with each other. He relaxed for the first time since Kate's death, feeling a bit more of belonging and safety.


	2. The Hat

Cristina Manzo made sure that everything in the office was just the way she liked it. She moved a box of tissues from her desk to a side table by the chase lounge. She smiled at the simple piece of furniture against the wall. It brought the room together in a different way than a couch would be. A person could lie down but at the same time, sit up and be comfortable. She looked at the clock, seeing it turn from the ten o'clock hour to the eleven o'clock hour and looked to the door. She sat down as she heard the door open and Agent Burke walked through the door. "Agent Burke – I thought I was seeing Mister Caffrey today?"

"And you are," Peter replied as he reached out from the door and gently pulled Neal inside. "Neal Caffrey, Doctor Cristina Manzo. Doctor Manzo, Neal Caffrey."

"Hello," Neal said with a bit of a smile as he took off his hat. He played with it in his hands, something to distract him as he looked around the office. It had the nice touches – some light from a window, flowers on the desk, some pictures of her family – everything to suggest that this was a place of calm. He could feel that something was hiding under the picture of calm, but he wasn't about to say anything. He would wait a bit and see where this was heading.

"It's good to meet you," Cristina replied with a soft smile. "Am I doing a joint session today?"

"No, I just had to walk him here or you wouldn't have had a session today," Peter replied as he looked at Neal. "Play nice."

"I always do," Neal said with a bit of a smile as he watched Peter walk out of the room. He tried to keep the look of fear off of his face and the feeling of being lost. He wished that Peter had decided to stay for the first session, but he knew Peter's modus operandi – sink or swim. He liked that about Peter, but at the moment, he wished that Peter was a bit more warm. iA bit more like El/i he thought as he sat down on the couch.

"So, Neal, why are you here?" Cristina asked with a soft and welcoming smile.

"Peter thought that I should come," Neal replied.

"You mean Agent Burke," Cristina pointed out.

"Yes," Neal replied. "We kind of go by first names. Helps with the working as partners thing."

"Right," Cristina says with a soft smile. "Why did Agent Burke think you should come and visit me?"

"Because I'm having problems with a death of someone very personal to me and he's worried that it's affecting me," Neal replied quietly.

"And is it?" Cristina asked with a soft and warm smile. It was the smile that was used for the patients who were children or child like. She knew that it would work on him.

"Yes," Neal admitted quietly as he started to play with his hat a bit more. "I loved her deeply. She was everything to me. She was perfection in every way that she could be. Innocence, light, just…everything," he said as his voice trailed off. His mind flashed back to what happened at the hanger, seeing again the plane in flames behind him and feeling Peter keep him back from going to Kate. His hands tightened as he realized that was Peter was trying to do. Trying to keep him from everything he could do to get to his one goal and now she was dead. He couldn't take it back. He was aware that the doctor was speaking as he tried to focus back on her. "I'm sorry?" He asked.

"I was wondering where you went in that one moment," Cristina replied with the same soft and warm smile. The safe smile that she needed to keep on for him.

"Back to what happened," Neal replied. "I just – I'm sorry, I don't think you can help me. I don't think anyone can."

"I think I can," Cristina replied. 'But I think that we should start with something that is so fresh in your mind. The feeling of lost can overwhelm you, just as it did there. We can go back in time with you and see your past to help you deal with what just happened. I would also like some joint session with Agent Burke if you feel safe enough to do that."

Neal nodded a yes. "That works," he said quietly. "But going back? Are you sure that's best?"

"Yes," Cristina replied. "It'll be like little snapshots of you in order to get back to what is bothering you. It'll take a while, but I think it will be best. And you might find out a bit more about yourself. Maybe why even you went into your form of work that you had before you came to work for the FBI."

Neal raised an eyebrow at that. "It was a family business."

"That we will get into at the next session," Cristina said with a soft smile. "This is really just an introductory meeting so I can get to know you better."

"Because everything has a meaning?" Neal asked. "I know someone who said that before."

"Who?" Cristina asked.

"My aunt," Nate replied with a nod. "I haven't seen her in a while, but I know she's doing alright."

"Well, she's right," Cristina replied. "Your playing with your hat meant that you're nervous and you wanted to keep your mind off of something. It's a piece of armor for you, so you clung to it when you had the reliving. It keeps you safe from the world in your mind."

"That's a lot to say about one piece of clothing," Neal said with a smile as he looked at the clock. "It's really been a half hour?"

"Yes," Cristina replied as she looked to the door as there was a knock. "Come!"

Peter came into the room. "Here to pick him up, as you asked."

"Thank you," Cristina said with a smile as she looks to Neal. "Our next session will be a hour, if that's alright with you."

"That's great," Neal said as he got up off the couch to go with Peter. He straightened a bit more, going back to the security he had with Peter. When they were out in the hallway, Neal took Peter's hand and smiled as he got a squeeze of reassurance. That would sustain him until they were home behind closed doors with El and able to wash the entire day away.


	3. The Twinkies

"You ready for this now?" Peter asked the next day as he was dropping Neal off at his next session with Doctor Manzo. There was a bit of worry for his young partner that Neal could hear.

"I think so, this time," Neal said with a bit of a smile. He was more relaxed today and looked at Peter. "Thank you for this."

"I'm not sure if you want to thank me just yet," Peter replied.

"No, I do," Neal replied. "Without you and El, I would have probably just kept on working and ignore what was happening with myself. With this, even though I have no clue where I'm going, at least I might be able to put everything to rest. Not relive it or have nightmares."

Peter nodded a yes as he rubbed his arm where he was hit last night due to one of Neal's nightmares. "And you'll be less physical in your sleep."

"If you want to call it that," Neal said with a chuckle. "I did say I was sorry."

"I said I forgive you already," Peter said and pointed Neal towards the door. "I'll be back in a hour."

"Back?" Neal asked, the look of worry back on his face.

"Yes – El's working near here…" Peter trailed off as he saw Neal's face go a bit white. "I'll be right here. We'll meet her after the session and get coffee."

"Starbucks?" Neal asked, a bit of hope in his voice.

"If you behave," Peter said with a smile. "Go."

Neal nodded and turned to the door, about to knock when Doctor Manzo opened the door. "Morning," he said.

"It's good to see you again, Neal," Cristina said with a smile. "Come on in," she said as she let him into the office.

"Thanks," Neal said as he walked in. He smiled as he smelled the chamomile that was burning that mixed with a nice whiff of vanilla. "Your office smells better today."

Cristina chuckled at that. "Thank you, I believe," she said as she motioned for Neal to have a seat. "Would you like some tea or water before we start?"

"No, I'm good," Neal said with a bit of a nod. "How are you today?"

"Good," Cristina said with a smile. "So, where shall we go today?"

"Depends on what you want to know," Neal said, taking a bit of a standoffish manner.

"Well, why don't we start with how you first got into your first business," Cristina said with a smile.

Neal raised an eyebrow. "Is that what we're calling it?"

"For today, yes," Cristina replied. "I know it doesn't sound nice, but it is the best way to call it."

"Or you could just say that I'm a thief and a conman," Neal said with a bit of a grin.

"Why don't we get to what you want to share," Cristina countered.

Neal sighed softly. "I was eight," he began.

An eight year old Neal Caffrey walked into the grocery store where his mom shopped all the time. He was on his way home from school and his mom had asked for him to stop and get milk. He had found the money in his lunchbox with the note asking him to do so. He knew what he was going to do though. He had planned it out nearly every week he came here with his mom.

He knew his goal. He was going to get the Twinkies that he had wanted.

He made his way to the milk section, getting the two percent that they drank and used with everything. He went back up to the front with the milk, taking a side track down the treat aisle. He could see the employee there, stacking different boxes onto a shelf. He walked past where the individual Twinkies were being displayed with the boxes a few more shelves up. He moved the milk to his left hand, shaking the right hand from the cold. As he did so, he lifted the individual package of Twinkies and put them in his inside coat pocket. He turned his head to look at the employee, who hadn't noticed a thing.

He walked to the front, paid for the milk, and went on his way home. He waited until later that night to get and eat his Twinkies. For him, they tasted even sweeter than usual and fresher than he thought they would be. He grinned as he realized that he liked what he had done and would remember what he did for next time.

"So you were eight?" Cristina asked as Neal came out of telling his memory to her.

"Yes," Neal replied quietly as he let himself relax a bit more on the couch. He wondered what would come next.

"And there was no remorse for what you did?" Cristina asked.

"Not really," Neal replied. "It was one packet of Twinkies. They wouldn't be missed, considering that a lot of kids came through and bought them. I just didn't have enough money."

"And you felt that they were better than normal, yes?" Cristina asked.

"They were," Neal said with a shrug. "I don't think it means anything."

"It does," Cristina pointed out. "It meant that you were proud of what you had done. That it brought you fulfillment, even though you knew the act was wrong. It just was the one point in time that sent you down your path."

"So, if I had paid for them, I wouldn't have been a thief?" Neal asked with a raised eyebrow. "I doubt that."

"One never knows," Cristina said as she wrote down something before looking at the clock. "Our time is up for today," she said.

Neal sat up and smiled at Cristina. "Until next time?" He asked.

"Of course," Cristina replied.

"Thanks," Neal said as he walked out of the office and to Peter. "I'm cured. Turns out I have a fear of rectangles."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "And you like West Wing. Come on," he said as he got up and lead Neal to the Starbucks that was across the corner.

El looked up as they came in, giving a wave as she waited for them to come over with their drinks. "How did the session go?"

"Well enough," Neal replied. "I talked about my first theft."

"The Twinkies?" Peter asked, looking amused.

"Yes," Neal replied. "It was a good one. One of my best lifts."

"And we wonder what went wrong," Peter said with a chuckle as the conversation turned to other topics. The three relaxed before going home together to a nice dinner and evening.


	4. Surprise Mozzie

Neal looked up as the car drove up to where he was waiting. He tilted his head and opened the car door. "I thought Peter was picking me up today," he said.

"He's busy at the office and asked me to come and get you," El replied and pointed down to the Starbucks cups. "Get in."

"Don't need to tell me twice," Neal replied as he got into the car and buckled in. "Which one is mine?"

"Second one. You don't want mine – it's decaf," El replied as she pulled out from the parking spot. She weaved in and out of traffic, making Neal nearly spill coffee twice. "Sorry," she said as they waited at a stop light.

"Decaf due to trying to make mini El or mini Peter?" Neal asked with a smile.

"I'd rather have a mini Peter," El replied with a smile. "Did he ask you?"

"Ask me what?" Neal asked, looking confused. It was an odd emotion on Neal's face.

"Of course he didn't," El said with a sigh that moved a bit of hair out of her line of vision. "We want you to be godfather to either mini El or mini Peter. He was supposed to ask you after the last therapy session."

"That one didn't go well," Neal said quietly. "We tried to talk about my mom. It's a…sensitive subject," he said quietly.

El looked at Neal before moving through the light into some traffic. "Do you think it's helping?"

"Yes," Neal replied with a bit of a smile. "I just – It's hard to talk about mom without bringing up a ghost that I never really wanted to talk about again."

El nodded a yes, knowing that Neal meant Emmanuel Gray. She didn't know the entire story about what had happened to Neal. All she knew is that Gray brought fear to a man that she thought had none. She also knew that Gray was an asshole and that only skimmed the surface, due to what happened to all of them when Peter got shot. "You don't need to speak about anything you don't want to speak about," she pointed out.

"She wants to talk about it though," Neal said. "She thinks it'll help with getting past Kate…" his voice trailed off as he thought about something.

"Peter already looked into that," El said quietly. "It wasn't him or anybody connected to him."

"I'll ask him about it later," Neal said quietly and looked to El. "Pass it along to Moz?"

"I'm in the backseat," Mozzie said as he sat up.

Neal chuckled. "Taking a nap?"

"No, not really," Mozzie replied. "Mostly just helping Mrs. Suit with the different things she needs to do today."

"I needed a lawyer for a client who was ducking payments and I didn't know any better lawyers," El explained. "And it worked like a charm."

"So now I'm not your only client," Neal said.

"I'm also working on getting paperwork together if they fire the Suit," Mozzie said. "Mostly due to the fact that I don't think they'll just fire him."

"I know they won't," El replied and sighed. "We're here," she said as she pulled into a parking space. "Are you okay with not being walked up? I'll go with you, if you want."

"Not really," Neal said quietly. "I don't even want to go up there. I don't like the office. It's too sterile and it feels confined, especially when we touch on the difficult subjects."

"Good then," El said as she waved to Cristina from out the window. "She's coming with us today. She wants to see where you live."

"Don't worry, we're ready for a visit," Mozzie replied as he got out of the car to let the Doctor in.

"El…" Neal said quietly.

"Peter's idea, even if he's not here to put it in motion," El replied quietly. "He wants you better, Neal. Not just for the cases, but for you as well."

"I'm not about to swan dive off of anything," Neal pointed out.

"He's afraid you're going to disappear," El said.

Neal froze at hearing that. He looked down at the white lid of the Starbucks cup, letting that idea run over in his head. He had thought about it – there was no denying that. It was more to run in order to protect Peter. To protect El and Mozzie, as they were the only ones that were left. The only ones that mattered to him now. "I wouldn't," he whispered.

"Is everything alright?" Cristina asked. "If he's not ready, I don't mind having an office visit."

"No, this is fine," Neal said, his tone going flat. "Let's just get this over with," he said quietly as El started to drive again.

They had made good time to where Neal was staying with June. Neal led the doctor through the different rooms he went into, his living space, and finally the roof. He sat down, looking off into the distance instead of at her. He only turned his head when he heard his name and smiled a bit at her. "I'm okay," he said quietly to her.

"You're even quieter than when you are at my office," Cristina replied with a soft smile. "Do you want to try to talk about your mom again?"

Neal bit his lower lip. He was about to voice a negative when he heard someone else come up to the roof. He smiled as he saw Peter, relaxing at his presence. "Having a session here."

"I know," Peter replied as he sat down at the table. "Doc, do you mind if I'm here?"

"No," Cristina said with a soft smile. "In a way, I'm glad. He seems more relaxed now."

"I have that effect on him," Peter said with a grin. "So, what's today about?"

"Mom," Neal replied. "And him, of course. Can't talk about one without the other."

"Him?" Cristina asked.

"Emmanuel Gray," Peter replied for Neal. "Sorry."

"Thank you for the name," Cristina said as she kept a hawk's eye on Neal. She could see that the name made him constrict and nearly curl into a ball. "I would like you to remain quiet though, or I will ask you to leave."

Peter nodded a yes. "I understand."

"Mom was good," Neal said as he looked at Cristina. "She had her thief skills while my aunt had the conwoman skills. And she was good – grandfather made sure that she was. I never met the man, but I heard he's taught one other who has survived with another group. I wish I could have met him, but that's life. Back to mom," he said with a soft sigh. "She was trying to make it so that I was the one who was going to be on the right path. To be a lawyer or a doctor or even a priest. When I was a kid, I took the Lord's name in vain a lot," he said with a slight smile.

"What happened?" Cristina asked in her gentle voice.

"I, um, came home one day from school and he was there talking to mom," Neal replied. "He had a job that only she could do. She said no to him – she didn't want to do the job. I don't blame her – it's not an easy job from what I know of it. So she said no and he came after me. Took me while I was walking home from school one day." He let the silence hang for a moment before taking Peter's hand under the table. He gripped it hard, taking the strength that he needed. "A family friend helped her get me back. In doing so, Gray killed her. Shot to the back of the head," he whispered, his voice barely heard above the noise of New York.

Peter gently squeezed Neal's hand before looking to Cristina. "Do you need anything more?" He asked.

"Not for today," Cristina replied and smiled softly. "Neal, there is one good thing out of what you told me."

Neal looked at Cristina in shock. "What's that?"

"You didn't relive when you told me about your mom," Cristina said with a soft smile. "You did when you explained about what you first stole as a child. But this memory – you've become stronger than it. Which is a very powerful thing – it shows that you can heal, even if you think you can't." She gathered her things, putting her notes into her bag as she did so. "Do you want to meet here from now on, instead of my office?"

Neal nodded a yes. "Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," Cristina said as she stood up. She walked over to where June was waiting, talking softly to her.

"She's good," Peter replied quietly to Neal. He moved and pulled Neal into a hug, not caring if either the doctor or June saw. He just was comforting as Neal started to cry, knowing that was what Neal needed. He held him there until Neal was done before going back downstairs with him to take Neal's mind off of things.


	5. Mini Burkes and Chasing Fun

"Today will be a fun day," Neal said with a grin to Peter. He was actually looking forward to his session today, considering that he hadn't had one in a few weeks. There had been a few cases that he needed to help out on and therapy had fallen by the way side. He didn't mind – he needed a bit of healing before talking again.

"Why?" Peter asked as he drove Neal home from the office.

"Cristina gave me a heads up on what we're talking about today," Neal replied. "Which is you and the other people who have chased me."

"You mean Nathan Ford?" Peter asked with a raised eyebrow. "Are you going to go into our more fun activities?"

"I might. She might say I have some sort of complex though. Being with the guy who caught me and all," Neal quipped. "She might want to talk to you next."

"I already know I'm insane with being involved with you," Peter replied as he looked at his cell phone while they were stopped at a light. He put it down as he saw he hadn't missed any calls. "El's at the doctor today."

"Any news either way?" Neal asked.

"No," Peter said and blinked. "Neal, I've got to ask you something."

"Yes," Neal replied. "To either a mini El or mini Peter."

"I'm hoping for a mini El," Peter said with a grin. "And thank you. Just don't teach her all your tricks."

"Or him," Neal pointed out. "El's hoping for a mini Peter."

"As long as the baby is healthy and happy, I'll be fine with either," Peter said as he started to drive again.

Neal nodded a yes to that. "Kate was pregnant once," he said quietly.

"I remember that," Peter replied, paying a bit more attention even though he was driving.

"Yeah," Neal replied. "We were going to keep it, but.." his voice trailed off as he remembered the miscarriage that Kate had.

"I understand," Peter said quietly. "El's had two different tries."

"How long did it go?" Neal asked quietly.

"First one we lost the baby at three months," Peter replied quietly. "The second one was six months. So it's promising."

Neal nodded a small yes. "Speaking of Kate – any news on who was behind it?"

"No," Peter replied. "I'm calling in some favors."

"Oh?" Neal asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not as clean as you think I am, remember?" Peter said with a smile as he pulled into his usual spot at June's house. "In you go. Have a good session."

"You're not coming?" Neal asked.

"To hear you talk about me? No," Peter replied. "Plus I'm going to go pop over to El's doctor and see if she's out of there yet or not. Or what exactly is wrong."

"She's probably making them run the test for the third or fourth time," Neal said with a grin and kissed Peter's hand. He had been a bit bolder in his statements of affection towards Peter. He knew that Peter didn't mind, considering the smile that crossed Peter's face. "Good luck."

"To you as well," Peter replied as he gently pulled Neal closer and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye," Neal said quietly as he got out of the car. Before he closed the door, he said "If there's a party, give me a call."

"Of course," Peter said as Neal closed the door and watched the car drive away. He looked up at June's home and went inside. He went up to the rooftop, smiling at seeing that Cristina was already there and speaking with June. "I hope I'm not interrupting," he said as he saw that June was smiling.

"Not at all," June said as she stood up and Cristina looked to see Neal there. "We were having a wonderful talk."

"Hopefully not about me," Neal replied.

"No, about someone a lot older than you and not on this Earth anymore," June said with a bit of a smile. "Thank you, Cristina."

"You're welcome June," Cristina said with a smile. "And don't be afraid to tell him how you feel. Especially since he seems open to it."

June smiled at that and looked to Neal. "Go on then," she said as she walked off.

"You're giving relationship advice now?" Neal asked as he sat down across from her.

"I'm third generation Jewish matchmaker as well as being a therapist," Cristina says with a smile. "She'll be happy with the one she wants to talk to."

"Mozzie," Neal said with a grin. "He's one of my oldest friends. They both love the same cheesy movies – this kung fu tile game movie that I cannot remember the name of – and various other things. They'll be perfect for each other."

Cristina smiled before placing two folders in front of Neal. "Do you know what these are?" She asked.

"One if my FBI file," Neal replied. "The other is either IYS or Interpol. I can see it's an I."

"Interpol," Cristina replied with a soft smile. "I did call IYS to see if I could speak to Nathan Ford to hear his side of the story. I got connected to his partner who is now at Interpol."

"…Sterling," Neal said with a soft growl.

"I don't even have to ask anything with that sort of reaction," Cristina replied.

"You need to understand something. Nate Ford? Nice guy. Had very interesting ways of working to get what he wanted back. You didn't know if he was chasing you until you saw him across the courtyard while playing a con to get what you stole back. He was good. More than good, he was excellent. I wish I could have studied under him for a while. He chased me once in Paris, thinking I took something that I did not take. He nearly got me. The only other one who came close in IYS was Sterling." He took a breath. "Rabid dog is the best way to describe him."

Cristina nodded as she wrote something down on a pad of paper. "And what about Agent Burke?"

"Best man I know," Neal replied without missing a beat, relaxing at the subject change. "Honest, nearly married to the job – would be completely if he didn't have El. Sorry, Elizabeth. The first day I met him, I was doing a job at a small bank in Albuquerque. He wasn't a new federal agent, but I managed to slip by him that one time. After that, the chase was on. He was good – better than I gave him credit for."

"How did he catch you?" Cristina asked.

"I simply messed up," Neal replied with a shrug. "Put myself into the wrong place at the wrong time thinking that it was safe. It wasn't and I was taken."

"You don't mind it though," Cristina said.

"You don't miss anything," Neal replied with a bit of a grin.

"No," Cristina replied. "And your relationship deepened?"

"I escaped, he caught me again," Neal replied. "I made it easy for him the second time around because Kate had left me. I then made a proposition to him about working together and he took me up on it. We've been working well together ever since."

"What about your relationship outside of work?" Cristina asked.

"We're friends," Neal said, keeping the same smile on his face. He kept up the mask so that nothing would go into her report to hurt Peter. "It helps that we work well enough together that I'm starting to trust him on a lot of different matters."

Cristina nodded a yes, writing down something more. "Do you want to go into Kate today?" She asked, seeing how Neal would react to that.

"No," Neal said quietly, taking a moment to say the word. He entertained the thought of just getting it over with, but he couldn't. "I'm sorry – I would like to, but at the same time, it's too hard."

Cristina nodded a yes. "How are you sleeping?"

"Better," Neal replied. "I'm not having the nightmares." What he didn't say was that he wasn't having the nightmares due to sleeping close to another two people that he cared about.

"How long is it now?" Cristina asked.

"The last one was just before I came into therapy," Neal replied. "So it's been two weeks."

"Good," Cristina said with a smile. "You're healing, Neal. It's a very good sign."

"Cristina – what if I'm never able to speak about her?" Neal asked quietly, his face darkening.

"You will," Cristina replied quietly. "If not with me, then with another person. But you will be able to open up, Neal. You'll love again, even if you think you won't. it won't be as deep as what you had with Kate, but I know there is another kindred spirit for you out there."

Neal smiled at that. "Thanks," he replied. "So, any preliminary ideas about what's wrong with me?"

"Yes," Cristina said. "Post traumatic stress disorder."

Neal blinked. "What? I – PTSD? Really?"

"Yes," Cristina replied. "Not just from what happened with Kate. I can tell that there's something that happened in your life with Emmanuel Gray as well. I'm not going to press, Neal. I don't want to hurt you in any way. But, when we have gotten through the Kate layer, I would like to go through that layer as well. Maybe then it'll be easier to talk about and remember your mother."

Neal nodded a slow yes as he thought about that. "But then I'd have to pay you?"

"No, it would still be on their dime," Cristina replied. "I just wouldn't be giving Agent Burke a report."

"You're giving Peter a report of the sessions?" Neal asked.

"A written one, when he comes to see me to talk," Cristina replied. "He never takes them, just gives them back to me. They're in my file cabinet."

Neal smiled. "That's Peter for you," he said quietly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Cristina replied and finished her tea. "Do you want to talk about anything else today?"

"No," Neal said and smiled. "Until next time?"

"Until then," Cristina said as she stood up.

"Thank you," Neal said as Cristina waved goodbye to him. He sighed softly and waited a bit before going back down to his living quarters. He could hear Mozzie and June talking as he walked back to where he lived, smiling as he did so. He closed the door quietly behind him before sinking down into the couch. He took off his hat, loosened his tie, and just laid down there to rest.

He had one nightmare that night – not of Kate, but Emmanuel. Flashes of what had happened that night he was saved and seeing his mom die right in front of him again. It took a lot for him to fall back asleep that night, but every light was on in the room as he fell back asleep. 


	6. Secret FBI Sense

Neal sat down at the table in the outside café, taking the seat across from El. He smiled at her before looking around the café. "Did I get here before Peter?" He asked.

"Yes, you did," El replied as she finished up what she was doing on her Blackberry. "He called me after you left and said that he got pulled into a meeting. He'll get here when he can and we should order."

"Ah," Neal replied as he smiled as the waitress came over. He ordered a cheeseburger and very strong coffee as he listened to El order a cheeseburger as well. He decided not to comment on the fact that El was not ordering a salad or something more upscale. "How's business?" He asked after the waitress went away.

"Booming," El replied with a happy smile. "We're doing a lot of different events for a lot of different places. "How are your talks going with Doctor Manzo?" She asked gently.

"I guess it would be called alright," Neal said as he smiled at the coffee arriving. He put some cream and a small amount of sugar in before taking a sip.

"You're not sleeping well though," El pointed out.

"You don't miss anything, do you?" Neal asked.

"I blame Peter for that," El replied.

"What are we blaming me for?" Peter asked as he walked up behind El, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Being observant," El replied as she smiled at him. "Neal's not sleeping well."

Peter turned to Neal. "Are you alright?" He asked, the worry in his voice clearly there.

"Yes," Neal replied after taking a long sip of coffee. "I just had a bad night of sleep after the session. And neither of you called me last night to say if I have a little brother or sister on the way."

"Don't change the topic," Peter countered. "If you're having trouble sleeping, it is something to talk about."

"No it's not when I don't want to talk about him," Neal hissed, a bit out of character before regaining his usual calm and cool composure. "I know you worry, Peter. But it's not the time of place to even think about him. I'd rather not do it ever again, but I'm going to have to face it in therapy soon enough. Just let me have bright spots in my life."

"Okay," Peter said. "Could you call over the waitress with your charm then?"

Neal shook his head at Peter before scanning the area and calling the waitress over. "He wanted to order," he said with a nod towards Peter.

"I'll have what he's having," Peter replied. "Medium rare," he added on before the waitress nodded a yes and moved away.

"How did you know I ordered a cheeseburger?" Neal asked.

"There's nobody to impress here, save for the waitress, but you're still not looking for someone new," Peter replied. "El is not going to judge and I'll probably make a comment or two when the food actually comes about you breaking out of your box of salads. Also, you read the food news and this place was rated on the top ten of best burgers in New York."

"You could have said secret FBI sense and it would have been cooler," Neal replied.

"I only use that when I need to find you," Peter said with a grin as he leaned back in the chair a bit. "How are your therapy sessions?"

"I guess it's good for me," Neal replied. "You would know if you read the reports instead of just giving them back to her."

"I like it better when you open up and trust me," Peter replied. "How did it go yesterday?"

"She thinks something's there, considering how I talked about you," Neal said with a shrug. "Probably in the wrong direction too. I don't think it ever crosses anybody's mind that we're related. What with me being the thief and you being the good guy."

"You're the good guy as well now," Peter pointed out.

"Right," Neal said with a grin and then sighed softly. "El's right, I'm not sleeping well. Ever since the last session – I've been having a dream with – with ihim/i in them," he explained, the hate in his voice. "Sometimes it's just a snippet and sometimes it seems like it goes on for ages before I wake up. When I do, I turn on every light I can and sometimes I stay up for hours before being able to go to sleep again. I was able to last night because I thought about Kate. About how it was and what was going to happen," he said, his voice getting a bit softer when he talked about his Kate. The look in his eyes, a mix of sadness and regret with love.

"Do you ever think about going to her?" El asked quietly. She was the only one that would be able to ask it. Peter had thought about the question – El knew it. But she also knew that he couldn't ask because it would have not been seen in a positive light.

Neal looked at Peter. "You won't hold it against me?" He asked.

"I won't put you on suicide watch, if that's what you mean," Peter replied. "Considering that you could have been gone before this moment."

Neal nodded a yes. "I've thought about it."

"You should bring that up with Doctor Manzo," El suggested gently. "And explain that you're not in danger to yourself. Maybe when Peter is there so he can say that he trusts that you're not a risk."

Neal nodded a yes, thinking about that. "I probably should but – El, she's not like you or Peter where I can say anything. I'm getting help with what is wrong, with what happened in the past and right now, but I can't just say anything. I can't just open myself. So, can we just keep this between us? And I mean it not getting back to Moz. He knows and he knows what to watch for. Hell, he guessed it when I was inside again and called for the suicide watch right when you did. So – just between the three of us."

"Of course," El replied, gently taking Neal's hand and squeezing it reassuringly. "Let's just have lunch," she said as the coffee was brought to Peter.

"Thank you," Peter said to the waitress as he took a sip of it without anything it.

"You don't want to – " Neal started to say and smiled when he saw Peter's look of disgust. "You might want some cream in that."

"How can you drink this?" Peter asked.

"Four creams and a couple of sugars," Neal replied with a smile as he passed them over to Peter. He relaxed a bit as Peter complained about the coffee for another moment before El started to explain something that was happening with her business. This was the therapy he needed, even if they thought he should speak to a doctor. He just listened to the two of them as well as the others in the café as the world passed them by. 


	7. Worried Warning

Peter looked at the door into Cristina Manzo's office before knocking and letting himself in. "Hey Doc," he said in an attempt to be casual.

"Agent Burke," Doctor Manzo said with a bit of a smile. "Are you finally here for a follow up of what we started after your mandated sessions?" She, of course, was talking about when Peter got shot. The department wanted him to go in for some sort of therapy, just to make sure that he was okay.

"No," Peter replied. "I'm here to talk about Neal."

"My report on our latest session will be ready on Friday," Cristina replied as she moved to sit behind her desk. She motioned for Peter to take a seat, which he did. "Unless there is something else you want to talk about?"

"Neal has been talking about what has been happening," Peter replied. "I heard that you touched on Gray."

"Barely," Cristina replied with a soft sigh. "I know there is something there, but it is hard for him to open up. I don't want to push a button that makes it so that he doesn't talk at all."

"He's only here to make sure that he's getting past Kate's death in a responsible way," Peter said.

"Which he can only do when he is fully healed," Cristina replied.

"He is not going to get healed if you keep on bringing up Gray," Peter pointed out. "Just stick to talking about Kate with Neal."

Cristina sighed softly. "Agent Burke, you are not allowed to dictate what I do and do not talk to my patient about."

"No, but I am the one who recommended that he come here to you," Peter replied. "And to the agency at large. I can take that recommendation away at anytime and I will state my reasons. You and some others might not think it, but Neal Caffrey is an asset to my job. If he is hurt to the point where he cannot be used, I will make sure that you pay for it."

"Why are you so protective of him, Peter?" Cristina asked, slipping back into her doctor role without realizing it.

"Don't psychoanalyze me, doc," Peter replied to her question. "Just leave him be and don't push him. He's going to curl up on himself mentally if you do that."

"I do think I know what is best for Neal to talk about," Cristina said as she looked at him. "Why are you so protective?"

"He's my partner," Peter replied. "I trust him with my life. Just – don't break him. I've had to put the pieces back together twice now. I'd rather not do it a third time when you are the one that is supposed to be making sure that doesn't happen."

Cristina sighed as she heard that. "I am doing what is best for the patient. I can say that again and again but if you don't believe me, then you don't believe me. If you think I am doing harm, then take the reports and use them against me. If you don't, then you will let me do what is best for Neal. Which includes pushing and then backing off when it doesn't go well. Also, it would be helpful if you could join us more often, even if you are quiet. I would like to have a joint session with you and Neal, but you decline. So, if anybody is hurting Neal or making it so that he cannot heal, then I put that back on you."

Peter was speechless for a moment, looking at Cristina as he composed his thoughts. "I don't need treatment."

"It's for Neal and to observe how the two of you work together," Cristina said. "How about this Wednesday at six?"

"Fine," Peter said. "I'll take the reports as well."

Cristina sighed and got out the reports, giving them to Peter. "See you Wednesday," she said pleasantly as Peter left the office to study the reports Cristina had been creating. 


	8. Cryptic Notes and The Mocking Bird

"Hi honey," El said as she walked into the home after one of her catering events. She wasn't surprised to see Peter going over files that were spread over the dining room table. She was surprised to look into the kitchen and see nothing on the stove or the oven for dinner. She sat down at her usual place, watching Peter read over the file in front of him. "Peter?" She asked again.

Peter looked up, a bit shocked and smiled at El. "Hi," he said as he took her hand and kissed it. "Sorry."

"I'm not shocked by you getting so into a case," El said with a grin. "What are we doing for dinner?"

Peter raised an eyebrow before looking at the clock and then back to his wife. "Oh."

"Yes," El said, looking amused. "Shall we order out? We haven't done that in a while."

"Our favorite Italian place?" Peter asked with a grin.

"Only if you tell me what case you're working on," El countered.

"It's not a case," Peter replied. "These are the reports from Neal's therapy sessions."

"What are you finding out that Neal hasn't already told you?" El asked as she moved her chair to look over Peter's shoulder.

"Nothing," Peter replied. "He's already told me a lot of the information that's in here. Including the hate of Agent Sterling of Interpol."

"Agent? I remember a Sterling working with IYS a while ago that I met because he was looking for you once," El said to that and lifted up a page. She turned it over, looking at something as she tilted her head. She got up and held it directly under a light.

"El?" Peter asked, looking at her oddly.

"There's something written on the back," El replied and went back over to Peter to show him. "See?"

Peter looked at it and ran his fingers over the paper as well. "There is. But why would she have done that?"

"Are these copies or the real file?" El asked.

"Copies – wait," Peter said as he found a few post-its marked to the pages. "That file is the original. The rest are copies. What does it say?"

"G - the child is trusting and will break soon," El said as she looked at it again.

"…El, where did you say you met her?" Peter asked as he went pale.

"She's a friend of a friend," El pointed out.

Peter grabbed out a cell phone, punching the code for the speed dial on the one number on the phone. "Moz –"

"Suit, there are no names," Mozzie said on the other end of the line. "I'm surprised you're using this now."

"I'll get into the why later. I need you to run a name for me," Peter replied. "She's been run by the FBI but I need a running by you."

"I feel a bit flattered," Mozzie admitted. "What's the name?"

"Cristina Manzo," Peter replied.

"The Suit Doc? What's wrong with her?" Mozzie asked.

"She gave me the original file of her most recent session. On the back of a piece of paper, there was 'G - the child is trusting and will break soon'," Peter explained.

"A baby could crack that," Mozzie said. "I'll get back to you in an hour. Meet me at Neal's," he said and hanged up the phone.

Peter started to pick up the different files, quickly putting them back where they needed to be. "I need to get to Neal's."

"What time are you going to be home?" El asked.

Peter stopped, looking at his wife. It was a question that she never asked him, knowing that there were long hours due to work. He sat back down and took El's hands. "El – "

"I'm just curious," El said with a smile. "Please make it sometime before midnight?"

"What is it?" Peter asked, but felt that El wasn't about to explain it to him.

"I will tell you when you get home," El said as she got up. She kissed Peter's cheek and went upstairs to their room.

Peter sighed as he finished getting all the files together. He took them and himself out to the car and drove to meet Neal and Mozzie.

Neal looked up as Mozzie came into his room, raising an eyebrow. "You don't knock anymore?" He asked.

"I go between knocking and not knocking," Mozzie said as he closed the door behind him. "Suit's coming over – something about your Suit Doc. He asked me to get information on her."

Neal watched Mozzie as he walked over to the bottles of wine. He waited for an explanation as Mozzie opened a bottle, pouring himself a glass. "Well?"

"You're not going to like it," Mozzie said as he got another glass and poured it for Neal.

"Moz – she had to get a FBI background check. They go through everything. It's one of the many reasons that you don't ever want to work officially with them."

"They go through the information that they are given," Mozzie said as he brought the glasses to the table before pulling out a file folder that was hidden in his jacket.

Neal came over to the table, opening the file folder before touching the glass of wine that Mozzie gave him. He looked at Doctor Manzo's picture before looking over at the information Mozzie retrieved. "She is a doctor, that's a plus," he said quietly as he saw that the name was different. "So she changed her name. That's not such a bad thing."

"You're starting to read slower," Mozzie retorted as he motioned for Neal to look further down the page.

Neal did so before sitting down in a chair. "That explains a bit too much," he said quietly.

Mozzie was about to say something when there was a knock at the door. He went over and said "I saw a mocking – "

"Mozzie, open the damned door," Peter said on the other side. He was not in the mood for games.

Mozzie opened the door and let the Suit in. "Can never be too careful."

Peter raised an eyebrow at Mozzie but said nothing. He just went over to Neal. "Neal – "

"She's an associate of Gray's," Neal said quietly. "You should take off my jewelry so I can run and hide."

"And have to spend time catching you again? El would kill me, then find you and kill you," Peter replied as he sat down in the chair close to Neal. "El was the one who found a little note on the back of a file. Diana and Jones are going to Manzo's office. We should meet them there."

Neal nodded a yes as he got up and got his jacket and hat. Mozzie grabbed the file and went with them to see the doctor.


	9. Betrayal and Confrontation

"How are we doing this?" Neal asked as he and Peter turned into a parking space.

"You're going to stay behind me as we go into her office," Peter replied. "Just like we usually do."

"Why her?" Neal asked quietly. "Of everyone – why her?"

"I don't know," Peter replied as he got out of the car. "We'll figure that out after we arrest her."

"Right," Neal said as he got out of the car. He buried his nerves down under the bile that he could feel rising in his stomach. He had told Manzo everything, trusted her as much as he trusted Peter, El, and Mozzie. He looked at the FBI agent who was walking into the building. He quickly caught up to Peter, going into the building with him.

Cristina looked out the window, barely listening to the person on the other end of the phone. She was looking more at the lines outside of her window, trying to think if they were tight enough or not. "Yes, I'm listening," she said into the phone as she looked down at the street. "They're here. Yes, everything is in place. Stop worrying," she said and hung up the phone. She double checked the contents of her bag, making sure the files she wanted as well as her laptop were in there. She pressed the buttons on the black marks on the windows. She looked to her door when it opened. "Agent Burke," she said and saw that Neal was with him. "What is this about?"

"Emmanuel Gray," Peter replied as he went over to Cristina. "And you're under arrest."

Cristina moved back towards the window, grabbing a gun from her back and shooting at Peter. She watched as Peter ducked, moving the gun to Neal, shooting at him but making sure she missed. She triggered the black marks on the window and the glass shot into the room. She hooked herself up to the wires quickly and went up the building. She shot one more time before leaving the scene and going up to the roof.

"Neal?" Peter yelled.

"I'm fine!" Neal called back as Jones and Diana came into the room with guns out.

"Are you two – " Jones started to ask.

"We're fine, we need to get to the roof," Peter interrupted as he got up and started to move to the stairs. Jones followed as Diana stayed with Neal to make sure he was alright. The pair got to the roof in time to see Manzo flying away in a helicopter. Peter shook his head no as the helicopter started to fly away, looking at the pilot of the helicopter. He turned and went down back to the office to start processing the scene. 


	10. Their Good News

Peter walked into the house at a quarter to midnight, a bouquet of red roses in his hand. He heard the TV on and went over to where El was. He kissed her cheek and handed her the roses. "Sorry," he said quietly.

"You're forgiven," El said quietly. "Neal called while you were on your way home. Moz's with him but he's not in a good space. I feel bad."

"Why? She was a friend of a friend. There was no reason for you to know of the connection," Peter said as he moved to sit down on the couch. He gently pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her.

"I still feel bad," El whispered. "Like I should have known or something."

"How?" Peter asked quietly as he kissed her cheek lovingly.

El sighed softly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Peter replied and grinned. "So, I'm home before midnight."

"Barely," El said with a chuckle. "I'm pregnant."

Peter grinned at hearing that and kissed her shoulder. "I'm going to miss our practice sessions then."

"Oh stop it," El said with a chuckle as she moved and kissed what she could reach of him. "I love you."

"And I love you – even if you do have bad recommendations," Peter teased.

El moved and hit Peter with a pillow before cuddling close to him. Peter grinned and picked El up, moving with her to the bedroom to celebrate their good news. 


	11. The Dead

Cristina pulled into the top level of the parking lot at midnight, looking around before she got out of the car. She saw the man leaning against the black Lincoln towns car and smiled at him. "I saw a mockingbird in flight," she said to him.

The man's mouth twitched but didn't go into a smile. "What color was the mockingbird?" He asked.

"I cannot believe you're doing the stupid mockingbird again," Alex said as she stepped out of a shadow. "Here I thought only Mozzie did that stupid shit."

"One can never be too careful," the man replied with a nod of the head to Alex. He tapped on the car door and moved as the woman exited the car. "Especially when traveling around with a dead woman."

Kate chuckled. "You give me too much credit."

"Considering I did the trick, yes, I do," the man replied and looked to Cristina. "Well?"

"Neither of them trust me and neither are going to come back again," Cristina replied. "However, I still have FBI access through the hack that we completed."

"Good," the man said with a nod. "Alex?"

"I can easily get back in with Caffrey, considering that Kate is now gone," Alex replied. "What about you, Gray?"

Emmanuel Gray just smiled. "I'm just going to wait for the other shoe to drop. Do your jobs. All of you. Soon enough we'll find the music box and what's inside of it."

The three women nodded a yes, with Kate going off with Alex. Gray slid back into his car, closing the door as he put a red x through the face of Peter Burke.

Alex was quiet as she drove away with Kate. She wasn't about to say how she gave away one of the cherubs to Neal. Or how she was going to try to get in touch of him one more time to warn him about the oncoming storm.


End file.
